Arthur kitson



(No Model.)

A. KITSON. GAS PRODUCER.

No. 594,537. Patented Nov. 30, 1897.

THE uonms warms co PHDYO-LlTNO-. WASNINGTON. o. c.

Nrrnn STATES PATENT rrrcE.

ARTHUR KITSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO APPLETON L. CLARK.

GAS-PRODUCER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,537, dated November 30, 1897.

Application filed March 18, 1896- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR KITSON, a subj ect of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Gas, of which the following is a full and complete specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates particularly to improvements in furnaces for generating gas from fuel subjected therein to certain treatment, although certain features of the invention are capable of application to other purposes.

The invention herein described is specifically an improvement upon the general type of gas-producers illustrated in United States Letters Patent granted October 17, 1893, to myself and Thomas Walker and numbered 507,073, and has for its object the securing to a still greater degree of the advantages designed to be secured by said before-described apparatus and the rendering of certain portions of the apparatus more automatic, together with the simplification'and reduction of cost throughout the mechanism.

The preferred form of the various improvements is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical central section on lines 1 1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a similar Vertical central section on lines 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the base-plate of the apparatus with the worm-gearing for rotating the hearth shown in dotted lines. Fig. f is a detail of the charging apparatus. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view showing the means for adjusting the downward extensions of the combustion-chamber walls to and from the rotating hearth.

Throughout the drawings like referencefigures refer to like parts.

1 is the cylindrical shell of the'furnace, which may be made of heavy sheet-iron.

2 is the fire-bricklining constituting the walls of the combustion-chamber 27.

3 is the base-plate of the furnace, which is supported upon any suitable arrangement of legs 4. The fire-brick lining is immediately Serial No. 583,825. (No model.)

supported by a ring 5, which rests upon struts or pillars 6.

7 is a rotating hearth which preferably has the general plane of its surface inclined from the horizontal, as illustrated in Patent No. 507,073, above referred to, but which I now illustrate with certain irregularities or convolutions composed of elevations above and depressions below said general plane, which further increase the disturbing action of the rotating hearth upon the charge of fuel in the producer. These irregularities, convolutions, or fiutings are marked 8.

9 is a hollow supporting-shaft for the rotating table Whose upper surface forms the hearth which rests and rotates about a vertical axis upon ball-bearin gs 10. These balls roll in a circular groove 11 in the ring-shaped bed-plate 12, which may besupp'orted in any desirable way. The hollow shaft 9 is also provided with any number of suitable bearings 42 to withstand side thrusts and preserve it in a vertical position.

The rotating hearth 7 is made ring-shaped, and the central opening of said hearth is occupied and nearly filled by a stationary central plate 13, which is preferably provided with a number of radially-projecting wings 14. Attached to the under side of the plate 13 and depending therefrom is a pipe 15, which rests upon any suitable foundation and supports the stationary central plate 13 in its position. In said pipe 15 or connected thereto in any desired manner is a blowing apparatus. This blowing apparatus may be a blowing-engine, but preferably consists of the steam-jet apparatus 16, located within the pipe 15, as shown.

17 is a ring on the under side of the stationary plate 13, and 18 is a ring projecting 'up from the end of the pipe 15 and coacting with ring 17 to prevent any portion of the charge from working down into the blast-pipe. 19 and 20 are similar cooperating rings acting to prevent any portion of the charge from Working down into the hollow shaft 9.

21 is a worm-wheel rigid upon shaft 9, and 22 is the worm cooperating therewith to r0- tate the shaft and hearth 7.

23 23 are stirrups holding the worm in engagement with the worm-wheel.

24. is an ordinary form of peephole afford ing a view of the ash-pit, and 25 is a scraper depending from the under side of the rotating hearth, which in its revolution sweeps the accumulated ashes into the water seal 26.

all is a take-off for the gases from the combustion-chamber 27.

28 is an extension downward from the wall of the combustion-chamber, which is preferably made in sections and fastened by bolts 29, passing through the elongated bolt-holes 30 to the ring 5.

39 39 are a series of helical grooves cut 011 the inner side of the combustion-chainber walls 28, and 40 i0, &c., are corresponding helical grooves cut in the cylindrical outer surface of the rotating ring-shaped hearth 7. This downward extension 28 reaches below the lowest point of the hearth and encircles and closely fits the sides of the table which form the hearth, the opposing surfaces thus formed being sufficiently near each other to grind the ashes which sift down between them. In practice I find a close fit to be necessary to prevent the ashes grinding out too fast. 1 have shown these opposing surfaces as cylindrical, though it might be well to have them slightly frusto-conical, so that the wear between them could be taken up by ad justing the table to slightly-higher position as the wearing away of the surfaces renders the same necessary in order to preserve a uniform distance between said surfaces.

31 is the feed-hopper, mounted on the top of the producer, and 32 is the rotatinghollow charging-valve of the kind described in Patent No. 507,073. The discharge-pipe beneath said hopper and charging-valve is normally closed by charging-bell 33, of the familiar form, supported from the counterweighted lever 3%. This lever is operated to depress the bell by the connection 35,actuatied through any convenient mechanism or directly by the cam 37 on the charging-valve 32 or on its shaft 36.

The mode of operation of my invention is as follows: The fuel being introduced into the hopper,the shaft 30 is continuously and slowly rotated. The charging-valve receives and drops upon the bell 33 its predetermined amount of fuel. The cam 37 then forces down the charging-bell, and the fuel is spread about thecombustion-chamber. lhecounterweightcd lever 31 immediatelylifts the bell to close the opening again on the passage of the cam. The worm-geari n constantly rotates the rin gshaped hearth 7, or, if desirable, reverses the same periodically,while the plate 13 remains stationary, and the resultant action is to keep the body of fuel continually grinding upon itself to a much greater degree than where the entire surface of the hearth rotates, as in Patent No. 507,073. The radial projecting wings ll intensify this action, as does also the irregularities or flutings 8, which project up into the body of the fuel and throw the zone of agitation farther up into the charge, while they perform the additional important function of preserving a non-conducting body of ashes in the depressions between them. The finely-gro und ashes sift down between the eylindrical surface of the encircling extension 28 of the combustion-chamber walls and the outer surface of the ring-shaped revolving hearth. This action is accelerated and the ashes more finely ground by the roughening of the surfaces above described by cutting therein the helical grooves 3.) and 4:0. The ashes collecting in the pit on the base-plate 3 are swept around by the scraper 25 and periodically deposited in the water seal 26. Any heat retained by the ashes is thus exgendcd in generating steam, which passes up from the water seal and assists in the operation of the gas-producer. The main portion of the steam and air necessary for the operation of the producer is of course forced up through the pipe 15 by the steam-jet and out through the opening between the ring-shaped hearth 7 and the stationary plate 13. The gas passes oil? through the take-off t1, and the operation of the apparatus is continuous.

Of course various changes could be made in the details of my apparatus without departing from the spirit and scope of my invent-ion. Different shapes might be given to the ringshaped hearth 7 and to the stationary plate 13, as well as to the wings thereon. The arran gement of bearings for the hollow shaft 9 and of the worm-gearing may be changed. The mechanism for opening the charging-bell might be replaced by other apparatus operated from the shaft of the ehargingwalvc, and the disposition of the blowing apparatus might be altered. The various modified forms of apparatus thus produced would still, however, operate upon the same principle and be included in my invention.

The function of the adjustable attachment of the sections of the downward extension 28 of the combustion-chamber walls to the basering 5 by means of the bolts 29 and elongated bolt-holes 30 is to provide for the expansion of the rotating hearth when the producer is in operation. If the walls are made a tight tit for the hearth when cold, the expansion of the hearth under the heat existing during operation of the producer will cause it to bind and stick fast. Accordingly allowance has to be made for this in setting the machine up cold, and as it is impossible to accurately estimate the amount of expansion a readjustment is frequently necessary after the producer is in operation. Moreover, the degree of expansion varies with the temperature of operation, which in turn varies with changes in kind of fuel and with the rate of gas production which in turn varies with the demand for gas in the consumption system. Consequently a mutual adjustability between the circumference of the rotating hearth and the surrounding walls of the combustion-chamber in a direction radial to the hearth is a necessary feature of my invention. The inclined walls 2 of the combustion-chamber 27 also perform an important function in connection with the constantly rotating and reciprocating hearth and the charging-bell 33. The inclination of the walls causes the fuel to fall away from them slightly as it is lifted up and down by the rotation of the hearth and thus prevents bridging or scaffolding and clinkering, which are the most unsurmountable of all the difficulties which beset the operation of an ordinary gasproducer. This by itself, however, would tend to bunch the fuel in the center, and to counteract that the fuel must be distributed around the circumfereu cc of the combustionchamber by the charging-bell. This also supplies the necessary weight of fuel near said walls to break down any scaffold otherwise tending to form, and scours the walls clean as the heavy body of fuel is lifted up and down. At the same time it forces the air and gases to pass through the center of the body of fuel, that being the thinnest point of the bed, and prevents their usual tendency to escape along the walls. Of course this spreading action of the charging-bell has existed in other forms of furnace before, but never, so far as I know, has it been utilized in combination with an inclined revolving hearth, cooperating therewith to produce the effect above described either with vertical or inclined walls of the combustion-chamber.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, andvdesire to. protect by Letters Patent, is

1. In a gas-producer the combination of the hearth formed by the upper surface of a rotating table, with a combustion chamber whose walls extend downward below said hearth, and encircle and closely fit the edges of the table, the opposing surfaces thus formed being sufficiently near to grind the ashes sifting between, and one of said surfaces being adjustable radially to the rotating table, substantially as described.

2. In a gas-producer, the combination of a hearth formed by the upper surface of a rotating table, with a combustion chamber whose walls extend downward below said hearth, and encircle and closely fit the edges of the table, the opposing surfaces thus formed being sufficiently near to grind the ashes sifting between them, one or both of said opposing surfaces being roughened, one of said surfaces being adjustable radially to the rotating table, substantially as described.

3. In a gas-producer, the combination of a hearth formed by the upper surface of a rotating table, with a combustion chamber whose walls extend downward below said hearth, and encircle and closely fit the edges of the table, the opposing surfaces thus formed being sufficiently near to grind the ashes sifting between them, and one or both of the opposing cylindrical surfaces thus formed'being roughened by the formation of helical grooves therein, one of said surfaces being adjustable radially to the rotating table, substantially as described.

4. In a gas-producer, the combination of a hearth formed by the upper surface of a rotating table mounted on a vertical axis, the general plane of said upper surface being inclined to the horizon, but diversified by elevations above and depressions below said general plane, a combustion-chamber whose walls extend downward below the lowest point of said hearth, and encircle and closely fit the edges of the table, one of said surfaces being adjustable radially to the rotating table, substantially as described.

5. In a gas-producer, the combination of a hearth formed by the upper surface of a rotating table mounted on a vertical axis, the general plane of said upper surface being inclined to the horizon, but diversified by elevations above and depressions below said general plane, a combustion-chamber Whose walls extend downward below the lowest point of said hearth, and encircle and closely fit the edges of the table, together with mechanism for rotating said hearth, and one or both of the opposing surfaces formed by the downwardly-extending walls of the combustion-chamber and the edges of the table being roughened, and one of said surfaces being adjustable radially to the rotating table, substantially as described.

6. In a gas-producer, the combination of the rotating, ring-shaped hearth formed by the upper surface of a rotating, ring-shaped table, the combustion-chamber whose walls extend downward below said hearth and closely fit the edges of the table, the opposing surfaces thus formed being sufficiently near to grind the ashes sifting between them, one of said surfaces being adjustable radially to the rotating table, the stationary central plate nearly filling the opening in said ring-shaped table, and mechanism for rotating said ring shaped table,'substantially as described.

7. In a gas-producer, the combination of the rotating, ring-shaped hearth formed by the upper surface of arotating ring-shaped table, the combustion-chamber whose walls extend downward below said hearth and closely fit the edges of the table, the opposing surfaces thus formed being sufficiently near to grind the ashes sifting between them, one of said surfaces being adjustable radially to the rotating table, the stationary central plate IIO nearly filling the opening in said ring-shaped table, and mechanism for rotating said ringshaped table, together with radially-projecting wings on said central plate, substantially as described.

8. In a gas-producer, the combination of the rotating, ring-shaped hearth formed by the upper surface of a rotating, ring-shaped table, the combustion-chamber whose walls extend downward below said hearth, and closely fit the edges of the table, the opposing surfaces thus formed being sufficiently near to grind the ashes sifting between them, one of said surfaces being adjustable radially to the rotating table, the stationary central plate nearly filling the opening in said ring-shaped table, and mechanism for rotating said ringshaped table, together with a pipe attached to and depending from the under side of said plate, a blast-producing mechanism, and connections therefrom to said pipe, substantially as described.

9. In a gas-producer, the combination of the rotating, ring-shaped hearth formed by the upper surface of a rotating ring-shaped table, the combustion-chamber whose walls extend downward below said hearth and closely fit the edges of the table, the opposing surfaces thus formed being sufliciently near to grind the ashes sifting between them, one of said surfaces being adjustable radially to the rotating table, the stationary central plate nearly filling the opening in said ring-shaped table, and mechanism for rotating said ringshaped table, together with a pipe attached to and depending from the under side of said plate, and a blast-producing mechanism, located in said pipe, substantially as described.

10. In an automatic charging device the combination of the hopper, the hollow charging-valve, the bell closing the discharge-pipe, the pivoted counterweighted lever, which normally holds said bell in position to close said discharge-pipe, the cam on the valve-shaft, and connecting mechanism whereby said cam oscillates the counterweighted lever to automatically lower the bell after the charge has been deposited thereon by the charging-bell, substantially as described.

11. In an automatic charging device, the combination of the hopper, the hollow charging-valve, the bell closing the discharge-pipe, the pivoted counterweighted lever, which normally holds said bell in position to close said discharge-pipe, and means operated by the valve-shaft to oscillate the eounterweighted lever and automatically lower the bell after the charge has been deposited thereon by the charging-valves, substantially as described.

12. In a gas-producer, the combination of the circular walls of the combustion-chamber, the charging-bell, and the rotating hearth inclined to the horizontal plane, substantially as described.

13. In a gas-producer the combination of the circular inwardly-inclined walls of the combustion-chamber, the charging-bell, and the rotating hearth inclined to a horizontal plane, substantially as described.

11. In a gas-producer, the combination of the circular walls of the combustion-chamber, the charging-bell, and the rotatinghearth inclined to the horizontal plane, the lower portion of the walls of said combustion-chamber surrounding said hearth, and one of the grinding-surfaces thus formed being adj ustable radially to the hearth, substantially as described.

15. In a gas-producer, the combination of the shell, having its lower portion closed to form an ash-pit, an outlet for said ash-pit, the revolving inclined hearth, the scraper depending therefrom to the floor of the ash-pit, substantially as described.

16. In a gas-producer, the combination of the shell having its lower portion closed to form an ash-pit, an outlet for said ash-pit, a Water seal with which said outlet communicates, the revolving inclined hearth and the radially-arranged scraper depending therefrom to the floor of the ash-pit, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR KITSON.

\Vitnesses:

A. PARKER SMITH, I. BARCZINSKY. 

